The Dawn Before the Day
by CertainlyUncertain
Summary: Arthur and Gwen steal a quiet moment together before the day begins.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I am so excited for the next episode that I wrote my first Gwen/Arthur story. It's pretty simple, but I like the idea that their relationship is actually a bit more developed than what we see on Merlin.**

**I don't own Merlin, but I do spent significant portions of my time daydreaming about it. Enjoy! Let me know what you think!**

The early pre-dawn light was just starting to peak through the gap between the thick curtains when Gwen slowly began to wake up. She smiled contentedly as she remembered where she was and why it was that she was comfortable and warm, instead of huddled against the cold under her usual thin blankets. She could already feel the cold autumn air against the parts of her face that were not protected by the heavy feather blankets of the prince's chambers. The prince himself was also contributing to her warmth. His left arm was wrapped gently around her waist as he slept. His fair hair was sticking out at odd angles as he snored into his pillow.

Gwen sat for a few moments watching as Arthur's chest slowly rose and fell with his breaths. Their sleeping arrangements had becoming something of a habit recently. It had started on the night when Morgana had been injured and both of them had been consumed with grief at their fear of losing her. Gwen hadn't been able to sleep and had been wandering around the castle when she found herself outside the Prince's chambers. Arthur too was awake, and in their grief they found solace in each other. They both slept better in each other's arms. The way Gwen saw it, this was probably the best it would ever get for them. She had no illusions about the future; someday soon Arthur would meet someone who was able to love and marry him in a way that Gwen never could. She often thought that if she were just a little bit stronger, she would get out of their relationship and leave it behind, but as it was, falling asleep in his arms was the best moment of her day and she wasn't ready yet to give that up. With a small sigh, Gwen gently began to move out of his grasp. She tried to gently sneak out of bed without waking him. Her endeavor was unsuccessful; as she tried to slip out from under his arm, his grip around her tightened.

"Where do you think you're going?" Arthur's face was still firmly buried into his pillow as he pulled Gwen back into bed with one hand. Gwen grinned but managed to stay firm.

"I have to go. It's nearly day. I have to fetch Morgana's breakfast, help her dress, fix her hair, and then clean her linens. Then at noon I have a lesson with Gaius about healing remedies. After that I have to fetch Morgana her lunch, prepare her horse for her daily ride, clean her chambers, fetch her medicine from Gaius, accompany her to the market, and then serve her dinner with the King in the evening. Then I have to prepare her for bed, and see that she's comfortable." As she had been speaking, Arthur had sat up on his forearms, frowning at her.

"Well it sounds to me like Morgana makes you work far too hard. I'll be having words with her."

"You will do nothing of the kind!" Gwen shot back. "She doesn't work me half as hard as you work Merlin. Besides, the last thing we need is for word to get out that the crown prince is concerned with how hard one of the _maids_ is working." Arthur opened his mouth to protest again, but Gwen silenced him with a chaste kiss. "I appreciate the sentiment, though."

She smiled and finally managed to wrestle herself out of his grip as she threw the covers off and stood up. Immediately the cold air made her shiver. She went quickly to the dresser and fetched her dress from the day before. As she got dressed, Arthur sat with his hands laced together behind his head, watching her. She blushed as he watched her. She wasn't yet used to anyone seeing her in any form of undress and their relationship was still relatively chaste, which only served to make Gwen more self-conscious as she dressed herself.

"Still," Arthur picked up their conversation from where they had left it, "You don't have to rush. I'll have Merlin fetch Morgana her breakfast and you can come back to bed for another hour." He grinned at her.

The idea was tempting every time he suggested it, but she never gave in. For one, she refused to be responsible for giving Merlin any more work than he already had. For another, she was keen to keep an eye on Morgana as much as possible. She still hadn't told Arthur about Morgana's betrayal. Keeping the information a secret caused her a great deal of guilt, but she was afraid. She loved Arthur, and she knew he loved her, but she was still a servant, and there were rules. A servant can't just go around accusing the King's ward of treason. She wanted to believe that Arthur would trust her, would know that she was telling him the truth, but she couldn't take that risk. She knew Arthur; he wasn't the type to accept things because he was told they were true. If he were ever going to believe that Morgana was practicing witchcraft, he would need evidence. And as it was, Gwen had nothing but her own word. So she had decided to keep the information to herself for the time being. She finished fastening her dress and smiled at her love.

"Tempting, of course, but I'm afraid I'll have to pass, sire." Arthur sighed at her use of 'sire'. The pair of them had a kind of unwritten rule: he was Arthur at night or during private moments; he was 'sire' during the day or when they were going about their duties. Gwen's use of 'sire' meant that the day had begun.

"Will you be coming to bed this evening at least?" He called to her as she walked toward the door.

Gwen turned to him when she reached the door. She gave him a smile, curtseyed, and left his chambers without saying another word.

**A/N: I'm not sure if it's clear in the story, but in case anyone is curious, they're just sleeping together in the story, not actually _sleeping together_. That's just how I see it anyway.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm not quite sure what inspired me to write this chapter. It's quite different to the first one. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but it wouldn't leave my head, so here it is. **

**Please let me know what you think! Reviews are always helpful. The next chapter will be a lot more like the first one.**

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Arthur watched as Gwen came around the corner of the hallway, carrying a pile of linens, freshly cleaned for Morgana's bed. He hid behind a pillar as she walked by, and grabbed her arm as she moved to pass him. She let out a small gasp of surprise when he pulled her back to face him, and dropped her laundry.

"Arthur! You scared me!" blushing, she bent down to pick up Morgana's sheets. Arthur bent down too, and grabbed them first.

"You're not going to clean Morgana's chambers today." He declared.

"Really." Gwen responded "And why is that?"

"Because instead…" he bundled all of the washing under the crook of his left arm, and with his right hand, he began to steer Gwen the opposite direction down the hallway, "… I have a little surprise for you. Meet me at the edge of the lower town when the bell tolls three o'clock."

"Arthur, I can't just skip work on your whim. I actually do need the wages from this work, you know." Even as Gwen protested, she continued to walk in the direction Arthur was steering her.

"Okay, for starters, Morgana thinks of you as a sister and will never sack you. So don't worry about your wages. For another, if I have to I will command you as the Crown Prince of Camelot to meet me in the lower town at three."

Arthur was grinning, but Gwen thought this was something of an unfair advantage in their relationship if he could dart back and forth between lover and prince as it suited him. Nevertheless, she continued down the hall as he directed her. When they arrived at the top of a flight of stairs that led down to the courtyard, Arthur stopped and turned her around to look at him again.

"So will you meet me?"

"I will do as you wish, sire." Gwen was also smiling at this point as she gave him a small curtsey. Almost on instinct, Arthur leaned forward to kiss her, but stopped when he heard approaching footsteps from the courtyard. A moment later one of the young servant boys arrived at the bottom of the staircase and began to climb the steps in their direction. Just like that their private moment was shattered as Gwen turned quickly away and rushed down the stairs.

"You, Boy," Arthur said when the young servant reached Arthur at the top of the stairs. "Go clean the Lady Morgana's chambers." He stuffed the linens into the boy's arms and left without another word.

* * *

As the town bell tolled three, Gwen looked around expectantly for Arthur's arrival. This was risky, she knew. And foolish. If anyone in town began to suspect that Arthur was carrying on with a servant, news could easily spread throughout the kingdom, and Uther would inevitably find out. She was running a risk even talking to him at all. Whenever she thought about it, she realized how insane she was acting; Uther would most likely have her killed if he knew what was going on, not to mention the fact that she knew their relationship would ultimately end up in heartbreak. However, at that moment she saw Arthur approaching as the crowd of people shopping moved out of his way while he walked. Whenever she got to thinking that she would be better off if she and Arthur never spoke again, all it took was one look from him and all resolve fell apart at the seams. She knew the risk she was running, and she equally knew that it was worth it for every moment she and Arthur had together.

Arthur briefly made eye contact with her, winked, and ducked quickly into the tavern. Frowning, Gwen followed him. If he had gone to the trouble of getting her off work just so they could go to the tavern, he would need a good scolding. But when she entered the tavern, she saw that Arthur had not even paused, but had continued walking to the back of the tavern. He looked behind him to make sure Gwen was following, and then slipped through the door at the back. Gwen surreptitiously followed him out the door. She had to admit that something about the secrecy of it all did make these illicit meetings a bit more exciting. She enjoyed the thrill. As she stepped out the back of the tavern, she found that Arthur was already several feet ahead of her, walking towards the edge of the forest. He turned around and continued to walk backwards as he called out to her.

"Well, come on then!"

Gwen sprinted up to meet him as they left the town behind them. When Gwen caught up to him, he gently gapped one of her hands in his, and led her off into the forest.

* * *

"Arthur… are we lost?" Gwen asked after about half an hour's walking.

"Guinevere, I am never lost." Arthur said with a slight air of entitlement.

"Of course not, Sire." Gwen responded as they continued to trek over tree roots and the golden leaves that strewn the forest floor.

"Just… over….here." Arthur said as he wedged himself between two thick trees growing closely together. When Gwen followed him, she found that they were in a clearing with a lake in the centre. The afternoon sun peaked through the branches and caused the lake to glisten.

"Arthur, this is beautiful!" Gwen smiled.

Arthur took her hand again and they walked to the edge of the lake to dangle their feet in the water.

* * *

"I need to get back. Morgana will return from her ride soon and I need to serve dinner to her and the King this evening."

It was at least an hour later, and the sun had moved behind the trees as cooler air filled the early evening. Gwen's head was lying comfortably on Arthur's chest as he played with curls of her hair.

"I gave Merlin the rest of the day off, so I don't think anyone will come looking for me anytime soon." Arthur replied. "Though I might join Morgana and my father for dinner just so I can see you for a little while longer. It doesn't seem fair though," Arthur continued "I mean, when do you get to have dinner?"

"Arthur, I'm not likely to eat the same food that the nobles eat, am I? Sometimes a couple of the women in the kitchen give me a few scraps of slightly burnt bread or unwanted meat, but for the most part I eat after work from whatever I can afford from the market. Usually grain, sometimes a bit of fruit."

"Well, when we get married I'll make sure you eat better than that rubbish –"

"Arthur, please don't…"

"_When_ we get married I'll make sure you have a servant of your own…"

"Please stop!" Gwen sat up suddenly and turned away from him.

"Gwen, I was only –"

"I know. I just really wish you wouldn't talk like that." Arthur was shocked to notice that tears had sprung into her eyes.

"Guinevere, what's the matter?"

"It's nothing." Gwen lied.

"Well, it clearly isn't nothing."

Gwen turned to face him. She no longer was trying to hide her tears as they began to fall from her eyes. Instead, she stood up.

"It's not fair to me when you talk like that. Here you are, Arthur Pendragon, Prince of Camelot. You cannot expect that I have any illusions about our future. You can have you pick of any women in the wide world and one day soon you will realize that I am nothing more than a servant with a blacksmith for a father. Nothing more than a plain girl with calloused hands and bad blood. One day soon you will get bored of this little adventure with the common girl and realize that you need a woman with noble blood and smooth hands, who knows how to dance and behave among royalty. I can be your mistress, Arthur, but I can never be your queen."

Gwen stopped speaking abruptly and began to head back towards the town. Arthur, for his part, was thoroughly taken aback, but managed to regain his composure quickly.

"You're doing me a disservice. Do you think I invite many women to sleep in my bed? Do you think I talk about marriage with anyone but you?" Arthur stood and took hold of her shoulders, forcing her to look at him as he spoke. "I meant what I said more than a year ago. I have never loved anyone save you. How can you think that at the sight of a courtly woman I would suddenly forget my love for you? The woman I marry will have a good heart and a good soul. She will be passionate and caring and she will know the importance of hard work. She will have…" Arthur's hands moved down to take her small hands into his "…calloused hands, and a wonderful smile. She will be bold and brave and beautiful. I have seen many noble women, but I have never known anyone so fair as you. When I am King, love will be the only thing that matters in the affairs of the heart. All you need is a bit of faith, Guinevere."

Without another word to one another, they left the clearing hand-in-hand. When they arrived at the edge of the forest, they parted with a small kiss and at dinner Arthur allowed himself to watch Gwen as she served them dinner for the majority of the evening. At night, he waited for her timid knock on the door. At last, just when he feared that she would not come, the knock sounded her arrival. Quietly, they greeted each other and climbed into bed.

"I have faith, Arthur." Gwen whispered as they descended into sleep.

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**A/N: As I said, the next chapter will be a lot more fun. Merlin will probably get involved! I'm a little nervous about writing him, so hopefully it'll turn out well. Let me know your thoughts!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Well, I am really becoming addicted to writing this story! I hope you all enjoy it. Your comments are absolutely the reason I keep writing. So, thanks!**

**I tried for a little bit of humour this time. Hopefully it worked.**

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For the second morning in a row Gwen awoke warm and comfortable inside the arms of her prince. This time, however, it was not the light from the easterly window that woke her, but the small kisses Arthur was placing on the back of her neck. Blinking, she saw that the room was still dark and that there was as yet no rush for her to face the morning. With a contented sigh, she rolled over to face Arthur.

"Can I help you with something?" Her eyes were still heavy with sleep so she let them close as she spoke. She heard Arthur chuckle.

"Well, I was just lying here, watching you sleep and I thought, 'how much more lovely would this moment be if you were awake to share it with me?'" Gwen felt another kiss fall on her forehead. Without opening her eyes, she moved up to where she knew she would find his lips. They enjoyed a slow, languid kiss before Gwen pulled away.

"That was rather selfish of you, wouldn't you say Arthur?" Gwen was rather more awake at this point, though she knew that she would be missing the sleep she could have had during her next day of work.

"Yes. It was entirely selfish. But I thought…" he softly kissed one of her eyelids "…somehow…" he kissed the other "…you might…" he kissed her temple "…find a way…" he kissed her lips "…to forgive me."

Gwen groaned in a mixture of irritation and pleasure. He thought he could get away with anything just by being _charming_. In truth, Gwen wasn't even slightly irritated at the loss of her sleep. This, she decided, was a good deal more enjoyable. But even so, the sheer arrogance should annoy her. Instead, she found it altogether irresistible.

Arthur lay back onto his pillows, staring up at the ceiling. Gwen nestled herself into Arthur's side, resting her head on his shoulder. Arthur let one of his hands aimlessly roam up and down her back as they lay in a comfortable silence. Despite their sleeping arrangements, Gwen somehow knew that neither or them would ever let it get beyond a certain point. Gwen suspected, however, that their reasons differed. For Arthur's part, he fully expected to marry her at some point, in which case she would need to be a maid in order for the union to be approved by the church. Gwen, however, thought that was the least of the boundaries standing in the way of their marriage. It wasn't her maidenhood she was protecting, but her heart. She knew that if she and Arthur ever got to that point, there would be no going back. Her heart and soul would fully belong to him and she wasn't sure she would be able to recover from that kind of loss. Not unless she could guarantee that they belonged only to each other. Whatever the reasons, their celibacy had never really been a discussion. Gwen was glad for it; some things, she thought, were best left undiscussed.

Moments later, Gwen heard the rhythmic breathing that signaled Arthur had fallen back to sleep. She contemplated waking him just to see how he liked it, but ultimately she decided he needed his sleep. It had been a rough couple of days for him, and he was clearly in need of some rest. Only four days ago his father had nearly died. Again. To add insult to injury, the witch who poisoned him had escaped only a day later. Gwen could tell that the times when his father nearly died exerted a toll on Arthur. She suspected that it wasn't just fear of his father dying, but an even greater fear of becoming King. Arthur was clearly still petrified at the idea. There was no doubt in Gwen's mind that he would make the greatest King Camelot had ever known, but he wasn't ready yet. So she let him continue to sleep, unburdened by the weight of his destiny.

* * *

When Gwen awoke again, this time is _was_ because of the light streaming through the window. This was not the pale pre-dawn, but the brilliance of the morning sun bursting through the thick curtains. Gwen shot up.

"Oh no! Arthur, get up! We overslept!" She shook his shoulder roughly before darting out of bed to retrieve her dress. Arthur swung his legs out of bed as Gwen frantically pulled on her dress.

"Merlin's going to be here any-" Arthur was cut off by the sound of his chamber door. Gwen and Arthur shared a wide-eyed look before Gwen dropped to the floor behind the far side of the bed, out of sight as Merlin walked in.

"Arthur! I'm actually on time today!" Merlin pronounced as he strode into the room.

"Merlin!" Arthur snapped "Don't you knock?" Merlin put Arthur's breakfast down on the table.

"Umm… no? When have I ever knocked?"

"Exactly! Maybe you should start!"

"Alright, sorry." Merlin said defensively, "But you did make me promise, don't you remember? You said…" Merlin adopted an affected version of Arthur's accent "… you said 'Merlin! Don't you dare be late tomorrow or I'll have you thrown in the stocks!'"

Arthur cringed. It was true, he had said that, but he hadn't actually expected that Merlin would take him seriously for the first time in his life.

"Yes, fine whatever. But now I'm telling you to go away and come back in an hour."

"I wish I could sire, but unfortunately…" Merlin walked towards the easterly window and threw open the curtains while Gwen desperately shuffled under the bed to avoid detection. "… the Earl of Camilyard and his son are arriving in an hour. You have to dress, have breakfast, and be ready to meet them in the courtyard."

Arthur groaned. He had completely forgotten about the Earl and his son. They were both of them a pair of self-entitled idiots, but they owned some very valuable land to the West of Camelot that Uther was interested in acquiring. It was a dull process that Arthur had very little interest in. In fact, his only job in the process was to sit there and listen. At that moment he would have given his left arm to do anything else. But as it was he had a duty, and Merlin seemed oddly determined not to leave him alone.

"Alright, fine. I'll get dressed." Arthur picked up the pile of freshly laundered robes of ceremony that he wore to welcome guests, and moved behind the patrician to get dressed. His thoughts went to Gwen trapped under the bed and he had to fight a sudden desire to laugh.

"Merlin, get my breakfast while I dress."

"I already did. It's on the table." Merlin called back.

"Go shine my armor then."

"Arthur, I shined your armor _yesterday_! You haven't even used it since the last time I shined it."

"Go…" Arthur hesitated, trying desperately to think of something to get him about of the room. "…go have breakfast or something then."

"That's nice of you, but I already ate before I came to work. Why don't I make your bed for you –"

"No!" Arthur dashed out from behind the partition half-dressed. "Don't bother with the bed. You can do it later. For now… whatever, just… I don't know… go away. Go… take a break… or… something."

"Really?" Merlin's voice was dripping with skepticism, as though he suspected it was some kind of trap.

"I'll meet you in an hour down in the courtyard to greet the Duke."

"Umm… okay. Thanks, Arthur!" With that, Merlin bounded out of the room.

Arthur breathed a sigh of relief and ducked down to retrieve Gwen from under the bed.

"I am so sorry! He refused to leave!"

"I know." Gwen laughed "I heard. Did you really threaten to throw him in the stocks?" Gwen's tone was torn between reprimanding and resigned.

"He knows I don't really mean it." Arthur said dismissively. "Anyway, you have to get out of here before he starts coming around begging me to let him polish something."

As if on cue, Merlin returned. The door swung open before either of them had a chance to react.

"Arthur, I forgot to grab the-" He stopped short when he noticed Gwen.

There was a beat of silence while Merlin pieced everything together, and then he burst out laughing.

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**AN: Reviews are like crack for writers. Please feed my addiction :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: So this chapter is a little bit different. I decided to delve into the different relationships that Arthur and Gwen have with Merlin and Morgana respectively. Also I think this is the last chapter I'll post before the episode on Saturday. After Saturday's episode I might write more depending on how the episode affects the story, because I'm a very stick-to-the-cannon kind of writer.**

**Anyway, as per usual, let me know what you think!**

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"Merlin!" Arthur shouted at him. "Shut! Up!"

"Yup…" Merlin was barely able to control his laughter long enough to cough out his response. "Sure thing, you two… finish, whatever it was I interrupted…"

"Merlin!" This time it was both Arthur and Gwen who shouted at him.

Arthur picked up the candlestick from the table beside the bed and launched it at Merlin. Merlin just managed to move his head out of the line of fire, but the candlestick still collided with his upper arm.

"Ow! That hurt!" Merlin had stopped laughing as he rubbed his arm.

"Good! Now listen. You are not to mention this to a soul, you understand? If you breath a word of this to anyone I'll- I'll-" Arthur paused to think of a strong enough threat "-I'll sack you!"

"Is that a promise?" Merlin teased back. Arthur picked up a pitcher of water and took aim. Merlin then quickly raised his hands in surrender. "Honestly, Arthur, you don't need to worry about me. I am a _really_ good secret keeper!"

"Sure Merlin, I'll believe that when I see it. You couldn't keep a secret to save your life."

Merlin smiled but said nothing more.

"I have to go." Gwen said suddenly. "I'm already late to wake up Morgana!" She gave Arthur's arm a small squeeze as she walked past him, and left without saying a word to Merlin.

After Gwen left, Merlin walked over to the bed and began to turn down the covers. Arthur went to finish dressing. Minutes past in silence as Arthur emerged fully dressed and began to eat his breakfast. Finally, Merlin couldn't stand the silence any longer.

"Can I just say one thing?" Merlin walked over to where Arthur was still finishing his breakfast and sat down at the table. Arthur sighed.

"We're not doing what you think. We're just…sleeping." Arthur preempted what he thought would be Merlin's concern.

"That's…more than I needed to know." Merlin answered. "No, that's not my problem."

"Well, go on then. What is your problem?" Arthur prompted.

He was pretty sure that he didn't want to hear whatever it was Merlin was about to say, but he let his servant continue anyway. Much as he hated to admit it, Merlin had been known to dispense some valuable advice in the time they'd know each other, and he'd grown to desire Merlin's council.

"It's just… you need to be more careful, Arthur. What if it had been the King who walked into your chambers? I was talking to Tom, one of the pages, and he said he saw you alone with Gwen just yesterday afternoon. Word is beginning to spread already. It's only a matter of time before it reaches Uther. I'm worried about Gwen."

"And you think I'm not?" Arthur countered.

"No! That's not what I'm saying. But, have you thought about what might happen if the King did find out? He could sack her, banish her, he might even kill her."

Arthur was becoming agitated at Merlin's words, but he managed to keep his anger in check. Merlin was right that they were being reckless, and Arthur understood that Merlin was not trying to be insubordinate; he was trying to look after his friends. So, he managed to answer without raising his voice or lashing out.

"Merlin, I worry about that possibility every single day. Not a minute passes when I don't dread what might happen to Gwen if my father were to learn the truth. But it's complicated. I think it's too late us just pretend there's nothing between us. We did try, but…" Arthur wasn't sure how to phrase their need for one another. When they had attempted to avoid each other, they always inevitably ended up back together. It was like they were being drawn to one another. It was like fate. Luckily for Arthur, he didn't need to try and put his feelings into words, Merlin managed it for him.

"…but you're in love." He stated simply.

Arthur looked at Merlin for a moment and silently nodded.

Merlin nodded back, and that was it. He stood up and resumed cleaning Arthur's chambers. There was nothing more to say about; if love was involved, then all rationality went out the window.

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Gwen rushed into Morgana's chambers carrying her breakfast, careful not to spill any of the water in the pitcher.

"My Lady," Gwen said hurriedly, "I'm so sorry I'm late –"

"Not at all, Gwen." Morgana replied in her falsely sweet voice.

Gwen's fingers were trembling as she helped Morgana into her dress. Being around Morgana was difficult these days. Her mistress had gone from being her closest friend to the person she feared most in the world in a matter of a single day. For the most part Gwen was able to keep her fear carefully in check, but she was rattled from having overslept and being caught by Merlin. As it was, her nerves were beginning to fray.

"Are you alright?" Morgana asked when Gwen spilled half the pitcher of water on the stone floor as she poured it into a glass.

"Y-Yes, I'm fine. Thank you." Gwen replied as she rushed to find a cloth to clean up the spilled liquid.

"Are you sure?" Morgana pressed.

"Yes. I'm just a little tired, my Lady, that's all."

"Nothing's troubling you, then? What about Arthur?" Gwen was glad she was already kneeling down to clean up the water, otherwise Morgana might have noticed the way that Gwen instinctively had to brace herself against the floor for fear of Arthur's safety.

"My Lady," Gwen stood up to face her mistress. "There is no longer anything between Arthur and myself."

Morgana's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Is that right? I thought you were quite in love."

Gwen couldn't stop the blush filling her cheeks, but she pressed on with the lie. "I will admit, my Lady, that there was a time when we shared feelings for one another, but we were both being foolish. Arthur has made it clear to me that he no longer has any interest in me."

"Gwen, I'm sorry. You must be very upset."

Morgana's voice sounded as though it was concerned, but Gwen could recognize the difference between her current false tones, and her tone in the past when she may once have cared for her servant's well-being.

"I admit I am a little upset, but I think it's for the best. It was only an infatuation, really."

Gwen plowed on in her lies. All she could do was hope that Morgana believed her. This was a dangerous game: if Morgana discovered that Gwen was lying, she would know that she no longer had Gwen's trust, in which case, Gwen would certainly be in a great deal of danger. But if Morgana believed her, then she would no longer try to use Gwen as leverage against Arthur. It was not her own safety that Gwen was concerned about, but what Arthur might do if he feared for her life.

"Well, I'm sorry that you're upset." Morgana said. Gwen said nothing as she made up Morgana's bed.

"If you've finished your breakfast I can take the dishes down to the kitchen for you."

"Yes, thank you Gwen."

Gwen took the dishes and exited the room as quickly as possible. More than anything else she was desperate to get out of her mistress' chambers. She felt ill with fear; something in Morgana's eyes had suggested to Gwen that she did not entirely believe her story about Arthur. But beyond the fear, Gwen deeply missed her old mistress. Time was that she would have been able to open up to Morgana about her love for Arthur and her concerns for their future. As it was, that time was gone, and she didn't think it would ever return. It was as though that version of Morgana had died while she was away last year. As Gwen walked down to the kitchens, she felt a few tears fall from her eyes as she mourned the loss of her best friend.

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**A/N: The general idea I wanted to get across is that while Arthur still has Merlin to lean on, Gwen is much more alone after she's found out about Morgana. I hope the juxtaposition came across. **


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